Umbrella



1951 s. HALPERN 2,994,333

' UMBRELLA Filed Sept. 17, 1958 1N VENTOR. 5/0A/5y #ALPER/V ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,994,333 UMBRELLA Sidney Halpern, '1'514 Dunsford Road, Jacksonville, Fla. Filed Sept. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 761,599 3 Claims. (Cl. 13519.5)

This invention relates to an umbrella and more particularly to a disposable umbrella.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved disposable umbrella.

Disposable umbrellas have been suggested and used heretofore for emergency situations Where a person encounters a rainstorm and is unprepared with adequate water repellant garments or a permanent type umbrella. Such umbrellas are usually contemplated for sale at low cost in drug stores, newsstands, department stores, theatres, restaurants and the like primarily' when an unexpected rainstorm develops. However, they may be given away as a courtesy in the aforementioned places.

It is an object of the invention to provide an inexpensive and easily assembled disposable umbrella.

It is another object of the invention to provide an inexpensive readily assemblable disposable umbrella that simulates in its construction the bowed rib design of conventional umbrellas, the canopy of the umbrella being held tautly over the bowed ribs so as to prevent wind damage and pockets of water from developing during use.

It is another object to provide an inexpensive disposable umbrella which is of rigid construction simulating the bowed rib design of conventional umbrellas, and which is readily assembled and disassembled for folding into a small compact package.

It is a specific object to reduce the weight and complexity of umbrellas adapted for emergency use and to provide in such umbrellas features of construction which render it readily assemblable, and compactly foldable for shipment and storage.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,

in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an umbrella embodying the concepts of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom view of the umbrella shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 2 and with certain parts broken away to show the means for securing the cross ribs and for positioning the handle of the umbrella with respect thereto;

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view of the umbrella generally along the line 44 of FIGURE 2 showing the handle removed from its engaging position with the rib clamp;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged view of the handle with parts broken away illustrating means for securing the rib bowing cords to the handle;

FIGURE 6 is a view of the umbrella as disassembled and rolled into a package for convenient handling, packing and storing.

The umbrella 10 includes cross ribs 12 and 13, and clamp 15 which constitute a rib assembly, canopy 11, handle 14, rib bowing cords 16 and 17 and canopy cord 18.

The canopy 11 has hem portions 19, 20, 21 and 22 formed by folding back the canopy edge extensions along outer edges 23, 24, 25 and 26 respectively.

2,994,333 Patented Aug. 1, 1961 The respective edges and hem portions extend between adjacent canopy corners that are generally designated in the drawings as 27, 28, 29 and 30. Corners 27 and 29 constitute one pair of opposed canopy corners whereas corners 28 and 30 constitute another pair of opposite corners.

Canopy cord 18 is continuous and extends around the periphery of the canopy 11 Within the hem portions 19, 20, 21 and 22. The cord is secured to the canopy along the outer edges 23, 24, 25 and 26 by folding the respective edge extensions over the cord and gluing them to the underside of the canopy 11, thereby forming hem portions 19, 20, 21 and 22 which surround the portions of the cord 18 extending along the respective edges. The corners of the canopy are cut thereby exposing corner cord portions 31, 32, 33 and 34 of cord 18. The corner cord portions are adapted and positioned to engage within slots at the respective opposite ends of the cross ribs.

Continuous resilient cross ribs 12 and 13 overlie the underside of the canopy 11 and extend between opposite canopy corners 27 and 29, and 28 and 30, respectively. Thus, cross ribs 12 and 13 cross each other centrally underneath the canopy 11 as at crossing point 35. Cross rib 12 may be considered as being divided at the crossing point into opposite end rib portions 36 and 37 extending outwardly from crossing 35 to the respective opposite ends thereof, whereas cross rib 13 may be considered as being divided at the crossing point into opposite end rib portions 38 and 39 extending outwardly from crossing 35 to the respective opposite ends thereof. At the end of each rib section is a slot which is adapted to receive a respective corner portion of cord 18 when the umbrella is assembled. Thus, there is a slot 40 and a slot 41 at the respective ends of rib portions 38 and 39 of cross rib 13. Rib portions 36 and 37 of cross rib 12 have similar slots, one of which is shown at 42 of FIGURE 1. The cross ribs 12 and 13 are rectangular in cross section and have flat face portions as at 43 and 44 and flat sides as at 45 and 46.

At the crossing point 35 the cross ribs 12 and 13 are pivotally secured together by means of a clamp 15 which has a protuberance 47 extending downwardly therefrom. The clamp 15 is designed to firmly hold the faces 43 and 44 of ribs 12 and 13 respectively together while permitting the ribs to pivot from their packaged parallel position in face to face contact throughout their length, as shown generally in FIGURE 6, to their extended perpendicular positions illustrated in the assembled umbrella. Thus, the side portions 48 and 49 of the clamp 15 are spaced at a greater distance apart than are the opposite flat sides of the ribs, thereby loosely encompassing the flat sides of the ribs when they are in face to face relationship.

The elongated handle 14 has opposite ends 50 and 51,

the upper end 51 having a socket or recess 52 which is adapted to receive the protuberance 47 of clamp 15 so as to prevent lateral movement of the handle end 51 with respect to the rib crossing point 35. Positioned intermediate the ends 50 and 51 of handle 14 is a slot 53 extending into the handle 14 and upwardly toward the recess 52 containing end 51 thereof.

The bow cords 16 and 17 in the illustrated embodiment are each associated with a rib and extend between the ends of the opposite rib sections thereof. Bow cord 16 is secured at one end of rib 13 by means of loop 54 which engages within end slot 41 of rib section 39 and at the other end by means of lopp 55 which engages within end slot 40 of rib section 38 Bow cord 16 extends inwardly from each of the slotted ends of rib 13 and downwardly to slot 53 in handle 14, an intermediate portion of the bow cord 16 being disposed within the handle slot 53. Bow cord 17 is similarly attached to rib 12 and extends inwardly from each of the slotted ends of rib 12 and downwardly to slot 5'3, an intermediate portion of the bow cord 17 being also disposed Within the handle slot 53.

It will be evident from the drawings and understood that the length of the tension applying cords 16 and 17 and the positioning of their handle attachments is such as to perform the three functions, of bowing the respective ribs downwardly from the elevated crossing point of the ribs, of forcing the recess containing end of the handle against the clamp, and of rigidly retaining the ribs against rocking out of essentially perpendicular relation to the handle. In this respect, each bow cord in the illustrated embodiment is preferably substantially exactly equal in length to the length of the respective rib with which it is associated as measured between the points of attachment of the cord thereto. Each rib preferably extends not more than a very short distance beyond the points of attachment of the cord thereto, such as provided by the length along the slots 40 and 44, for example.

The length of the ribs, as measured between the respective points for attaching the corners in the opposite ends thereof, is such as to place a slight strain on the canopy between the opposite edges thereof when the corner cord portions are engaged within the slots and the ribs are thereafter bowed downwardly. In this manner the canopy is tightly drawn over tthe supporting ribs in the assembled condition.

It will be understood that the canopy is composed of inexpensive materials, such as water-resistant or waterproof paper or light plastic sheet materials. Similarly the ribs and handle are composed of inexpensive materials, spruce or pine being particularly suitable.

The bowing cords comprise elongated tension-applying elements which are fixed at one end to the handle spacedly below the upper end thereof and at the other end to a respective rib portion outwardly of the rib crossing point, and which apply the downward bowing tension which bows each rib 'over the end 51 of the handle and which urge the handle into attaching engagement with the clamp.

In assembling the umbrella for packaging and shipment the continuous cord 18 is confined within the hem portions, 19, 20, 21 and 22, the hems being formed by gluing or otherwise securing the canopy edge extensions to the underside of the canopy. The rib assembly is formed by pivotally clamping ribs 12 and 13 in the center in parallel and in face to face relationship. Thereafter, the exposed portions of cord 18 in one of the pairs of opposed canopy corners are inserted in the end slots of one of the ribs and the bow cords attached by means of their loops within the end slots of their respective ribs. The handle 14 is then placed alongside the parallel ribs 12 and 13, and the frame elements of the umbrella rolled together inside the canopy to form the convenient package shown in FIG. 6 which may be tied together by a string, not shown.

The ultimate consumer erects the umbrella by first unfolding the package and pivoting the unattached rib into perpendicular relationship with respect to the attached rib so as to have both ribs extending between opposite canopy corners. The unattached rib is then attached to the canopy by inserting the canopy corner cord portions within the respective end slots. The bow cords, which are already attached to the ribs, are then grasped at the center and the socket end .of the handle placed against the rib assembly, the clamp protuberance fittingly engaging within the socket, and the bow cords drawn down and placed in the handle slot.

To take down the umbrella for folding, the bowing cords are released from the handle, the respective connections at each end of one of the ribs with the canopy corners are disconnected, thereby releasing that rib for rotation in the clamp 14 into parallel relation with the other. The handle may then be laid beside the ribs and 4 the canopy rolled thereabout to encase both ribs and the handle.

As previously mentioned, the bow cords 16 and 17 preferably are equal in length to the distance between their respective points of attachment to ribs 13 and 12 respectively. The lower rib 12 preferably has an overall length, as measured between the extreme ends thereof, which is greater than the distance between the points of attachment of how cord 16 to upper rib 13. In this manner, bow cord 17 which is associated with the upper rib 13, cannot pass around either of the extreme ends .of the lower rib 12 when the ribs are pivoted into face to face relationship and thereby overlie the lower rib 12 when rotated into canopy engaging position.

While only a certain preferred embodiment of this invention has been shown and described by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is therefore, desired that it be understood that it is intended in the appended claims to coverall such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An umbrella comprising a rib assembly and a canopy overlying said rib assembly, said rib assembly including a pair of continuous ribs, each said rib having opposite ends and crossing the other rib intermediate its opposite ends, and a pivotal attachment joining said ribs together at said crossing for pivoting of said ribs at said attachment from a folded substantially parallel position to an extended operative angular position with respect to each other, each of said ribs having opposite rib portions extending outwardly from said attachment and terminating in respective ends of the rib, said canopy comprising means releasably connected to said ribs for maintaining said ribs in said angular position, an elongated handle having an upper end disposed beneath said rib assembly at said crossing, said rib assembly having fitting means adjacent said crossing for releasably engaging and retaining said upper end of said handle in predetermined lat eral position with respect to said crossing, tension means for releasably urging said upper end of said handle longitudinally'upwardly into forcing engagement with said fitting means, said tension means comprising two elongated elements having end portions connected to said ends of said ribs, said handle comprising means below its said upper end for lockingly engaging said tension elements between their end portions, said tension elements being releasably attached to said handle means and bowing said ribs downwardly at their ends.

2. An umbrella comprising a rib assembly and a canopy overlying said rib assembly, said rib assembly including a pair of resilient ribs crossing each other at the midpoints thereof, a projecting element attached to said ribs at said midpoints thereof and extending downwardly therefrom, said ribs being pivotal at said element from a folded substantially parallel position to an extended .operative angular position with respect to each other, said canopy comprising means releasably connected to said ribs for maintaining said ribs in said angular position, a handle member having an upper end and a depression thereinto at said upper end for freely receiving said ele ment thereW-ithin, tension means for releasably urging said element into said depression comprising a respective cord for each said rib connected at its opposite ends with the respective opposite ends of the rib, each said cord being removably attached at its midpoint to said handle spacedly below said upper end thereof and bowing its attached rib downwardly and outwardly over said upper end of said handle.

3. An umbrella comprising a rib assembly and a canopy overlying said rib assembly, said rib assembly including a pair of continuous ribs, each said rib having opposite ends and a pivotal connecting portion intermediate its opposite ends, a pivotal attachment joining said S pivotal connecting portions for pivoting of said ribs at said attachment from a folded substantially parallel position to an extended angular position with respect to each other, said canopy comprising means releasably connected to said ribs for maintaining said ribs in said angular position, each said rib having opposite rib portions extending outwardly from its pivotal connecting portion to the respective rib ends thereof, a handle having an upper end for engaging said rib assembly, said rib assembly further comprising, at its center, fitting means for engaging said upper end of said handle to retain said upper end in fixed lateral position with respect to said pivotal connecting portions of said ribs, tension means for urging said handle upper end into forcing engagement with said fitting means, said tension means comprising two elongated elements having ends connected to the rib ends, said handle comprising means below its said upper 6 end for lockingly engaging said tension elements between their end portions, said tension elements being attached to said handle means and bowing said ribs downwardly at their rib ends.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

